Chapter 41 – Protection, Treatment, and Gains
"Tsunade, you're far too reckless! Do you think this is a place you can just barge into?" Danzō immediately seized the chance to scold her.
But Tsunade didn't spare him so much as a glance. She was fully focused on examining Taichi's injuries, her chakra flowing carefully into his body to probe for internal damage.
Seeing this scene, the Chisao quickly bowed to the Hokage.
"Lord Hokage, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Go on. You've worked hard through the night, you deserve some rest," Sarutobi said with a rare touch of warmth.
"It was my duty." With that, the ANBU quietly exited.
By then, Tsunade had finished her check. Her brows knit tightly.
"Your chakra pathways are in terrible shape. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Do you want to stop being a shinobi altogether, yet still insist on filing reports like this?" Her tone was sharp and cutting.
Taichi blinked, startled. Are my internal injuries really that bad?
Sarutobi leaned forward anxiously.
"Tsunade… how bad is it? He seems fine on the surface."
Danzō, however, smirked coldly to himself. If I can't have him… better that he's ruined.
"The surface wounds are minor. The real issue is internal. His chakra network is on the verge of collapse—too much strain from prolonged, high-intensity ninjutsu use. If it isn't treated immediately, the damage could become permanent," Tsunade said grimly. "I need to take him to the hospital now."
"Then don't waste a moment!" Sarutobi urged. "This boy is far too valuable to be lost like this."
Without delay, Tsunade escorted Taichi out of the Hokage's office.
Once they were gone, Sarutobi turned back to the council.
"Now—how do you all view this incident? Any conclusions?"
"Most likely Kumogakure," one adviser said darkly. "They failed to capture Kushina last time, so now they've turned to targeting other bloodline heirs. Sarutobi, we cannot let this pass unanswered."
"That's right. Whoever it was, retaliation is necessary."
Both Koharu and Homura were firmly in favor. Today it was the Kurama clan—tomorrow it could be the Hyūga, or even their own families. If Konoha didn't strike back, trust among the clans would crumble, and unity along with it.
Besides, this was no longer the weakened Konoha recovering from the Third Shinobi War. The current leadership was in its prime, brimming with strength and resolve.
"Then it's settled," Sarutobi declared. "We'll await the Interrogation Division's confirmation of exactly which village dared attempt this."
---
Outside the Hokage Tower
"...Tsunade-nee, are my injuries really that serious?" Taichi finally asked after holding his tongue for so long. He was starting to doubt his own medical ninjutsu training.
Tsunade shot him a sharp look.
"If I hadn't said that, do you think Danzō would have let you walk out of that room? I needed an excuse to get you out." She had overheard the conversation before barging in, and deliberately played the role to whisk him away.
"Thank you, Tsunade-nee." Taichi's gratitude was heartfelt.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Your chakra pathways are heavily strained. You'll need several days in the hospital to recover. And this bandaging—whoever did this should never be allowed near medical supplies again. It's barely fit for emergency care, and completely useless otherwise." She scowled at the sight.
"Ehh… so I really have to stay in the hospital?" Taichi slumped. There goes a few days of my life.
---
The Konoha hospital was as crowded as ever. Tsunade personally arranged Taichi's admission and brought him to the Trauma Ward—ironically, the very department he had once interned in, though now he arrived not as a healer, but as a patient.
The one receiving him was none other than Chief Fujita. The woman's eyes widened when she saw Tsunade walk in with Taichi wrapped head to toe in bandages.
"Well well, Taichi-kun… never thought we'd meet again under these circumstances."
"Please don't tease me, Chief. I'll be troubling you with all these injuries," Taichi said awkwardly.
"Sit there," Fujita instructed, gesturing to a chair. "Nanako, bring the cleaning instruments."
"Tsunade, leave him to me," Fujita added without looking up.
"Mm. I trust you," Tsunade said, stepping outside.
Fujita immediately began cutting away the messy wrappings.
"Ah—ow! Ow ow ow ow!" Taichi wailed. He hadn't felt it during battle, but now the pain came crashing in. "Chief, could you be a little gentler? I am a patient here."
"You call yourself a shinobi and scream like this? Aren't you ashamed?" Fujita scolded.
But as more bandages came off, she fell silent. The sheer number of wounds left her stunned.
Once the haphazard wrappings were removed, Fujita and nurse Nanako both gasped. Taichi's body bore no fewer than eleven gashes—one perilously close to severing an artery in his arm. Just a few millimeters deeper, and he would have bled out on the spot.
They worked quickly and carefully: cleansing the wounds, suturing the worst of them. Nearly an hour passed before they finished.
When it was over, Fujita and Nanako looked at Taichi with newfound respect. These were not superficial cuts—his wounds spoke of brutal close-quarters combat.
For Taichi, however, the relief was in no longer being used as a pincushion. Watching someone stitch through your own flesh was a torture in itself.
After thanking Fujita, he rejoined Tsunade and was led to the inpatient ward.
---
Later, lying in a hospital bed, Taichi began receiving Tsunade's specialized treatment. Her Mystical Palm Jutsu spread across his body, warm as a spring breeze, gently soothing the pain and repairing the damage to his chakra pathways.
Taichi let out a contented hum, relaxing as he recounted the events of the previous night in detail.
Tsunade exhaled in relief when she heard how he had outsmarted and defeated a special jōnin. But when he mentioned facing an injured full jōnin afterward, her heart tightened all over again.
By the time Taichi finished, Tsunade felt more drained than if she'd fought the battles herself.
Her healing complete, she left him with strict instructions for rest before finally preparing to depart.
Tsunade herself had plenty to deal with. If it weren't for hearing about Taichi's situation, she would already be at the casino, "sweeping the tables clean."
Just as Tsunade was about to step out of the room, Taichi called after her:
"Tsunade-nee, could you help me find my jōnin instructor? His name is Yamaguchi Masasuke. We were supposed to meet tomorrow morning at 9 for a mission, but… I'll probably need to take a leave."
"Alright, alright, I get it. Such a hassle~" Tsunade's voice drifted faintly from the corridor.
With her departure, the ward was left quiet, and Taichi finally had a moment to examine the spoils of his battle. After filtering out the less important notifications, what remained was impressive:
[Your Constitution +2]
[Your skill: Hatake Kenjutsu has improved, EXP +500]
[In battle, you gained insight: Fire Release Nature Transformation +500]
[In battle, you gained insight: Wind Release Nature Transformation +500]
[In battle, a stroke of fortune: Water Release Nature Transformation +1000]
[In battle, a breakthrough! By combining Water Style: Water Formation Wall with Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu, you have created your own A-rank technique — Water Style: Grand Water Prison!]
Water Style: Grand Water Prison – Creates towering water walls around the enemy from afar, compressing inward until they are completely sealed within a massive aqueous prison.
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Name – Matsushita Taichi
Profession: Genin Lv2 (45/200)
Talents: Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent, Scholar, Enhanced
Age: 8
Constitution: 21
Strength: 20
Agility: 18
Spirit: 23
Chakra: 14,000 (Max: 16,400)
Attribute Points: 12
Skill Points: 14
Nature Transformations
Fire: Lv7 (350/1200)
Wind: Lv7 (412/1200)
Water: Lv6 (812/1000)
Yang: Lv6 (459/1000)
Chakra Shape Transformation: Lv6 (467/1000)
Chakra Control: Lv5 (476/800)
Skills
Advanced Taijutsu Lv0 (976/1000)
Advanced Meditation Lv0 (934/1000)
Hatake Kenjutsu Lv10 (1478/2000)
Fire Release
B-rank: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet Lv7 (777/1200)
B-rank: Great Fireball Lv3 (357/400)
Wind Release
C-rank: Gale Palm Lv8 (724/1400)
B-rank: Pressure Damage Lv4 (26/600)
Water Release
B-rank: Water Formation Wall Lv9 (453/1600)
C-rank: Water Prison Jutsu Lv6 (124/1000)
C-rank: Water Clone Jutsu Lv6 (153/1000)
B-rank: Water Dragon Bullet Lv3 (275/400)
Medical Ninjutsu
Mystical Palm Technique Lv9 (329/1600)
Delicate Illness Extraction Technique Lv8 (463/1400)
Chakra Scalpel Lv6 (464/1000)
Evaluation:
You survived a brush with death, and your growth in strength was carved out with your very life.
As the assessment suggests—each time you gamble with life and death, your power surges dramatically. But Taichi still wished he could progress step by step… rather than living every day with blades flashing before his eyes.
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